Posted on 09/25/2006 4:26:42 PM PDT by neverdem
A federal judge in New York today gave class-action status to a lawsuit that poses a major new threat to the tobacco industry by asserting that tobacco companies purposely misled consumers by marketing “light” cigarettes as a safer alternative to regular cigarettes.
The ruling opens the door for millions, if not tens of millions, of Americans to join the lawsuit as plaintiffs. In his ruling, Judge Jack Weinstein of the Eastern District of New York, essentially said that any United States resident who has ever purchased a cigarette labeled “light” is part of the class represented in the suit.
In the case, known by the name of the lead plaintiff, Barbara Schwab, lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that smokers were led to believe that light cigarettes, representing 45 percent of the market, were safer or less addictive than regular cigarettes, when the industry knew that was not so.
They have asked for $20 billion to $200 billion in damages. But if the case goes to trial and a jury decides against the cigarette makers, their liability could be much higher. The case was filed under the federal Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, which entitles plaintiffs to triple damages.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2004, names as defendants the nation’s largest tobacco companies, including Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson and Lorrilard. Some of the companies, including R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, said today that they planned to appeal the judge’s class-action certification.
The legal tactic of suing cigarette companies for misleading marketing practices represents a shift in strategy for lawyers who have pursued big tobacco. Previously, the main avenue of attack had been to sue for personal injuries. But many of the jury awards in those cases were thrown out or reduced on appeal.
Most recently, in July the...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
shakedown artist ping
Whacko Jacko (Judge Jack) ping.
Filthy,filthy lawyers!
For this much money? Cigarette companies should have armies of assassins working overtime on lawyers.
Nanny State ping
Assinine ruling for an assinine reason by an assinine judge..........
SHEESH.........
Because we prefer the tast...........DUH.
Why? they don't pay the judgement - their customers do.
Class action suits seem to have devolved into a get rich quick scheme for shyster class.
There will be little or no benefit to the "class". Only the lawyers will be enriched.
The solution is easy...just stop selling cigarettes in America.
That is their goal..so just DO it.
Inconvenient? Sure! But who cares? It's about "the children".
Let ADULTS buy their cigs from the Indians...tax free! The rest of us can move on. I don't smoke and I don't want your smoke in my face, but I'm tired of these endless lawsuits. Sell them online and shut the rest down.
Oh, but don't you touch my likker!
I wonder how much the govt. stands to profit from this one?
At this point in time, I would just as soon all the tobacco manufacturers in this country close up shop and call it a day. Let the states who profit from the industry cry the blues and let the other states and feds who pimp the tax trade deal with the ultimate losses in revenues.
There is still an international trade which will always be accessible whether legal or not...........
This "class action" jackpot justice is of the Lawyers, by the Lawyers, and FOR the Lawyers.
In this multi-billion dollar suit, the "plaintiffs" are the signee's who the lawyers chased down to get there first with the Class Action suit (before OTHER lawyers, as it's a drag race to the courthouse every time).
The plaintiffs (the smokers) will wind up with a coupon for a discount on a carton of stop-smoking pills for each of them, while the Lawyers pocket BILLIONS in CASH, again at the expense of Tobacco consumers.
Now, if we can just find some reason for certain spring water to be linked to excessive peeing syndrome, the Limousine Liberals will wake up to the resulting $5.00-a-bottle water AFTER the Billions in that case goes in the Lawyers' pockets.
As they say, it all depends on who's ox is being gored, and the American's who do not smoke and support this jackpot justice do so because it hasn't reached THEIR pockets (YET).
Thy've pretty much shut that down already.
Oh, but don't you touch my likker!
Don't worry - that's being done as we post. The major funding organization behind all the anti-smoker propaganda controls MADD...........every Johnson and Johnson product you buy adds money to the control freak nanny-statists that oppsoe smoking, drinking, eating red meat, and the 2nd Amendment.
Half of me agrees with you and the other half laughs at your apparent head in the sand naivete.
The first half of your post: If they banned tobacco altogether it would be a refreshing breath of subtlety on the anti's part. We'll all just buy it from the original cultivators of the crop...the Native Americans. They will all get rich while the states who are addicted to MSA revenue and their partners the Tobacco companies get poor. That would prove there is a God.
The last half of your post:
Don't touch my likker.
So you think as a non-smoker that you get a "Get Out of Health Totalitarianism Free" card? Is that it?
Oh they will touch your likker and mine too. You see my friend, Fascists typically target a persecuted minority first while other citizens look on and say "Good, I didn't like those people anyway." And smokers rank somewhere between lepers and squeegie pests in your eyes apparantly.
When they come for you the drinkers(as if they havent' already), and the eaters, you'll know how the Jews felt when they saw their former oppressors dragged off to the same concentration camp as them.
The "lawyers" will get 4 billion bucks each and all the "smokers" who join the "suit" will get a coupon for four bucks off a carton of Marlboro Lights. Our so-called justice system REALLY sucks.
That will be immediately after they raise the price of a carton by $6.00 to cover the cost of the suit.
you've got that right!!!!
But you'd be surprised how many people still buy their cigs at the local store. I know I am! And you'd be surprised how many smokers there still are!! I think that there are ALOT of smokers out there who aren't being counted!
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